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Three simple and sensitive visible spectrophotometric methods (A–C) are described for the assay of vancomycin (VCM) and dobutamine (DB) (in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations). These methods are based on the oxidation of vancomycin or dobutamine with excess sodium metaperiodate. Either the products formed (liberated aldehyde with 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH), method A; iodate with p-methylaminophenol sulphate (PMAP), sulphanilamide, in the presence of Mo (VI), method B) or the amount of periodate consumed (celestine blue in the presence of tellurium (IV), method C) are estimated. In this paper the reaction mechanism is presented and all the variables are optimized. Regression analysis of Beer-Lambert plots showed good correlation in the concentration ranges 2.5–30, 0.6–6.0; 2–24, 0.8–9.6 and 2–24, 0.76–6.0 µg ml−1 for methods A, B and C of VCM and DB respectively. The validity of the proposed methods was tested by analyzing pharmaceutical formulations containing drug (VCM, DB) and the relative standard deviations were within 1.0%. Recoveries are 99.55–99.94%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green and simple UPLC method was developed and optimized, adopting a factorial design for simultaneous determination of oseltamivir phosphate and remdesivir with dexamethasone as a co-administered drug in human plasma and using daclatasvir dihydrochloride as an internal standard within 5 min. The separation was established on UPLC column BEH C18 1.7 μm (2.1 × 100.0 mm) connected to UPLC pre-column BEH 1.7 μm (2.1 × 5.0 mm) at 50 °C with an injection volume of 10 μL. The photodiode array detector (PDA) was set at three wavelengths of 220, 315, and 245 nm for oseltamivir phosphate, the internal standard, and both dexamethasone and remdesivir, respectively. The mobile phase consisted of methanol and ammonium acetate solution (40 mM) adjusted to pH 4 in a ratio of 61.5:38.5 (v/v) with a flow rate of 0.25 mL min−1. The calibration curves were linear over 500.0–5000.0 ng mL−1 for oseltamivir phosphate, over 10.0–500.0 ng mL−1 and 500.0–5000.0 ng mL−1 for dexamethasone, and over 20.0–500 ng mL−1 and 500.0–5000.0 ng mL−1 for remdesivir. The Gibbs free energy and Van't Hoff plots were used to investigate the effect of column oven temperatures on retention times. Fluoride-EDTA anticoagulant showed inhibition activity on the esterase enzyme in plasma. The proposed method was validated according to the M10 ICH, FDA, and EMA’s bioanalytical guidelines. According to Eco-score, GAPI, and AGREE criteria, the proposed method was considered acceptable green. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To reveal the contributing effects of MTDH gene SNPs in the risk of invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC). Patients and methods: A case–control study was conducted, recruiting a total of 300 cases of IDC and 565 cancer-free controls from East China. Genotyping of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MTDH gene was performed. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of patients. The three SNPs (rs1311 T > C, rs16896059 G > A, rs2449512 A > G) in the MTDH gene were selected for detection using a TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The association between MTDH and the risk of IDC was analyzed employing an epidemiology case–control study and a multinomial logistic regression model. Results: Among the three evaluated SNPs, rs1311 T > C, rs16896059 G > A, and rs2449512 A > G demonstrated a significant association with an increased risk of IDC. Furthermore, stratified analysis revealed that individuals carrying the rs1311 CC genotype, rs16896059 GA/AA genotypes, and rs2449512 GG genotype were more susceptible to developing IDC in subgroups of patients younger than 53 years, without family history of IDC, pre-menopause status, clinical stage 2, high grade, with no distant metastasis or invasion, Her2-positive type, ER positive, PR positive, and Ki67 cells less than 10%. However, carriers of the rs16896059 GA/AA genotypes and rs2449512 GG genotype had an elevate the risk of IDC in patients with tumor size larger than 2 cm, post-menopause status, clinical stage 3, with invasion, lymph node infiltration, ER negative, PR negative, Her2 negative, and Ki67 cells exceeding 10%. Compared to the reference haplotype TGA, haplotypes TAA, TAG, and TGG were significantly associated with an increased IDC risk. Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated a significant association between MTDH gene polymorphisms and an increased risk of IDC. Moreover, our findings suggested that MTDH gene polymorphisms could serve as a potential biomarker for IDC subtyping and therapeutic selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compositions of ZnO nanoparticles and polyaniline, in the form of emeraldine salt, were manufactured as thin layers by using the spin-coating method. Then, the effect of polyaniline content on their photoelectrochemical characteristics was studied. Results indicate that all the samples are sensitive to light. Besides, with 0.30% of PANI, the composite sample demonstrates the highest photocurrent density; also, its photocurrent increment starts to increase at a voltage of ⁓ 1.23 V (vs. RHE), which is approximately in accordance with the theoretical potential of water electrolysis. Furthermore, since the rate of electron–hole recombination in this composite sample is the lowest, it possesses the highest photoelectrochemical efficiency. Main findings were analyzed with respect to UV–visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra as well as SEM micrographs of the samples and Raman spectral measurements. Besides, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis was applied to both pure ZnO and the sample with the best response. Effects of drying temperature and layer thickness were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuBi2O4 is a promising p-type semiconductor material with a theoretical maximum current density of about 19.7 mA cm‒2. Although CuBi2O4 has a very high theoretical photocurrent, its poor charge transmission efficiency makes its actual photocurrent far less than its theoretical values. Herein, an in situ modification method is adopted to prepare a photocathode material with Ag as conductive channels. A metal–organic coating method is used to introduce Ag conductive channels, promoting the charge transmission between grains. Ag particles play the role of electrical connection, and improve the separation and transmission of carriers, so as to obtain enhanced photocurrent density. In situ formed Ag conductive channels significantly enhanced the PEC performance of CuBi2O4 photocathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photovoltaic modules are mostly installed outdoors, exposing them to different conditions. These conditions significantly affect their performance. One of the most influential factors on photovoltaic modules is the soiling phenomenon from dust deposition. Dust deposition on the surface of the modules causes transmittance loss. Some studies in different parts of the world have tried to find mathematical correlations between particulate deposition and transmittance. These correlations are a function of dust characteristics and environmental factors. This study proposes a new methodology to mathematically combine the photovoltaic model and transmittance loss correlations. The proposed model could examine and predict the effect of soiling on photovoltaic modules' performance. Three photovoltaic modules with different capacities are selected. Using the proposed model, they are modeled by assuming clean and dirty photovoltaic surfaces depending on the installation conditions. This study is based on actual data from the center of Tehran, located at 35° 41′ north latitude and 51° 23′ east longitude for 12 months in the year 2020. The module's performance was investigated in the presence of dust. The presented results are validated by comparing them with other studies. The results show that the soiling effect is not dependent on the modules' capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium sulfide (In2S3) is a fundamental material for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications and a promising candidate for many technological applications because of its chemical stability, wide band gap energy, and photoconductive behavior. Indium sulfide films have been doped with various substances to enhance the high resistivity that is typically present in as-deposited In2S3 thin films. It depends on the value of the impurity concentration as a dopant, the structural, electrical, and optical characteristics of In2S3 thin films, such as crystal structure, crystallite size, morphology, surface roughness, band gap, dc conductance, resistivity, and transmittance characteristics, are influenced. The opto-electrical properties of In2S3 thin films can be modified by doping of different lanthanide or transition metals. The effects of various impurities incorporated in the physical properties of In2S3 are discussed and reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use quantile vector autoregression (QVAR) to identify the connection between six variables related to digitalization (proxied by a number of Internet users and mobile cellular subscriptions), green technology development, green energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and economic complexity index from 1996 to 2019 in Vietnam. The dynamic connectedness of the system is 62% and 14% in the short and long term, respectively. Their connectedness is intense for highly positive and negative quantiles (over 80% quantile). In contrast, economic complexity transmits shocks in the short term and manifests itself even more in the long term. Green technology development is the central receiver of short- and long-term shocks. Besides, digitalization captured by a number of Internet users has switched from shock transmitters to shock receivers in the short term. Other metrics like mobile cellular subscriptions, green energy consumption, and CO2 emissions are mainly shock-receiver-driven. In the short term, there was volatility, especially from 2009 to 2013, due to unprecedented events like destructive changes in political, economic, and financial issues in the globe. Our findings are critical for economists and policymakers in promoting a country's digitalization, green technology performance, and green energy on the path toward sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have unique band structure and show a great promise for optoelectronic and solar energy harvesting applications. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) processes are intensively studied employing these materials, due to their high specific surface area, and the possibility of surface modification by defect engineering/catalyst deposition. The PEC activity of different 2D and layered materials was scrutinized for water oxidation/reduction and for inorganic ion oxidation by a statistical analysis to reveal any specific trends. Furthermore, some frequently studied performance improvement strategies (i.e., heterojunctions, tunnelling, and co‒catalysts) are also discussed. Overall, exploring novel materials of 2D family, and new directions are both needed to initiate further discussions and additional research activity, which might enable to harness the full potential of these exciting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid method for energy management on grid-connected MG system is proposed under this manuscript. Grid-connected MG system takes photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), battery. The proposed system is an integration of seagull optimization algorithm (SOA) and the radial basic functional neural network (RBFNN), thus it is named SOA-RBFNN. Here, in the grid-connected microgrid configuration, the necessary load demand is always monitored with RBFNN methodology. SOA optimizes the perfect match of the MG taking into account the predictable load requirement. The fuel cost, together with the power variation per hour of the electric grid, the operation and maintenance cost of microgrid system linked with grid, is described. The proposed model runs on the MATLAB/Simulink workstation and efficiency is investigated using existing techniques as AGO-RNN and MBFA-ANN. Statistical analysis, elapsed time, modeling metrics, and determination of optimal sample size for adjustment and validation of proposed and existing technique are evaluated. The efficiency values on the 100, 200, 500, and 1000 trails are 99.7673%, 99.7609%, 99.9099%, and 99.9373%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heterojunction photocathode of CuO and CuBi2O4 grown on an FTO substrate (FTO/CuO/CuBi2O4) was synthesized using hydrothermal method followed by spin coating and annealing to overcome the bottlenecks encountered by CuO in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting application. The synthesis methods, morphological, structural properties, and composition of each sample under each synthesis condition are discussed in detail. The photocathode with 15 coating layers annealed at 450 °C exhibited the best PEC performance. Moreover, its current density reached 1.23 mA/cm2 under an applied voltage of − 0.6 V versus Ag/AgCl in a neutral electrolyte. Additionally, it exhibited higher stability than the bare CuO thin film. The bonding of CuBi2O4 on CuO resulted in close contact between the two semiconductors, helping the semiconductors support each other to increase the PEC efficiency of the photocathode. CuO acted as the electron-generating layer, and the CuBi2O4 layer helped minimize photocorrosion as well as transport the carriers to the electrode/electrolyte interface to accomplish the hydrogen evolution reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green, rapid, and simple RP-UPLC method was developed and optimized by full factorial design for the simultaneous separation of oseltamivir phosphate, daclatasivir dihydrochloride, and remdesivir, with dexamethasone as a co-administered drug. The separation was established on a UPLC column BEH C18 1.7 µm (2.1 × 100.0 mm) connected with a UPLC pre-column BEH 1.7 µm (2.1 × 5.0 mm) at 25 °C with an injection volume of 10 µL. The detector (PDA) was set at 239 nm. The mobile phase consisted of methanol and ammonium acetate (8.1818 mM) in a ratio of 75.7: 24.3 (v/v). The flow rate was set at 0.048 mL min−1. The overall separation time was 9.5 min. The retention times of oseltamivir phosphate, dexamethasone, daclatasivir dihydrochloride, and remdesivir were 6.323 ± 0.145, 7.166 ± 0.036, 8.078 ± 0.124, and 8.572 ± 0.166 min (eight replicates), respectively. The proposed method demonstrated linearity in the ranges of 10.0–500.0 (ng mL−1) and 0.5–30.0 (µg mL−1) for oseltamivir phosphate, 50.0–5000.0 (ng mL−1) for dexamethasone, 25.0–1000.0 (ng mL−1) and 0.5–25.0 (µg mL−1) for daclatasvir dihydrochlorde, and 10.0–500.0 (ng mL−1) and 0.5–30.0 (µg mL−1) for remdesivir. The coefficients of determination (R2) were greater than 0.9999, with percentage recoveries greater than 99.5% for each drug. The limits of quantitation were 6.4, 1.8, 7.8, and 1.6 ng mL−1, and the limits of detection were 1.9, 0.5, 2.0, and 0.5 ng mL−1 for oseltamivir phosphate, dexamethasone, daclatasivir dihydrochloride, and remdesivir, respectively. The proposed method was highly precise, as indicated by the low percentage of relative standard deviation values of less than 1.2% for each drug. The average content and uniformity of dosage units in the studied drugs' dosage forms were determined. The average contents of oseltamivir phosphate, dexamethasone, daclatasivir dihydrochloride, and remdesivir were nearly 93%, 102%, 99%, and 95%, respectively, while the uniformity of dosage unit values were nearly 92%, 102%, 101%, and 97%. Two novel methods were established in this work. The first method was used to assess the stability of standard solutions. This novel method was based on the slope of regression equations. The second was to evaluate the excipient's interference using an innovative instrumental standard addition method. The novel instrumental standard addition method was performed using the UPLC instrument program. It was more accurate, sensitive, time-saving, economical, and eco-friendly than the classic standard addition method. The results showed that the proposed method can estimate the tested drugs' concentrations without interference from their dosage form excipients. According to the Eco-score (more than 75), the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), and the AGREE criteria (total score of 0.77), the suggested method was considered eco-friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum dots and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) play an important role in the performance of the third-generation solar cell. In this work, the performance of quantum dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) with rGO/TiO2 composite photoanode is presented. Mixing of rGO was performed with a facile preparation technique by varying the ratio of rGO (0.1–1.0 wt%) to TiO2. The prepared electrode samples were characterized in order to understand the effect of rGO to the surface morphology, chemical composition and electron lifetime effect. It was observed that the addition of rGO increased the efficiency of QDSSC with maximum efficiency observed for sample having 0.5 wt% of rGO-added TiO2 electrodes. However, more rGO content did not contribute to the improved performance due to increased charge recombination rate. The internal resistance and electron lifetime of the samples are further discussed in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water splitting using photoelectrochemical technology is an excellent way to generate clean hydrogen, for which TiO2 is regarded as the most promising photoanode because of its unique properties. The large band gap and high recombination rate of charge carriers, however, limit its solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. Herein, we fabricated the reduced TiO2 nanotubes by electrochemical anodization technique followed by hydrazine treatment to create oxygen vacancies (or Ti3+ sites) in the sample. The samples were then characterized by XRD and FESEM for structural and morphological analysis, validating the formation of Titania nanotube arrays (TNTA). Absorbance spectra of hydrazine-treated samples showed the absorption edge at about 447 nm, which corresponds to a band gap of 2.67 eV. This reduction in the band gap may be due to the introduction of Ti3+ states beneath the conduction band, as confirmed by XPS spectra. Photoluminescence spectra depicted the presence of oxygen vacancies in the hydrazine-treated sample. The hydrazine treatment, as a result of the introduction of Ti3+ states, enhanced the photocurrent density of the sample without affecting its photostability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is one of the critical energy conversion techniques to prepare for future energy demands. Among the various trials to construct effective water splitting semiconductor photoelectrodes, In2O3/In2S3 heterostructures can be promising candidates for their advantageous properties in solar water oxidation. Herein, we synthesized In2O3 nanorods on FTO substrate through a direct glancing angle deposition method. Subsequently, the In2S3 layer was conformally coated on In2O3 nanorods through facile chemical bath deposition. As synthesized photoanodes of In2O3/In2S3 form type II junction, leading to considerable cathodic onset potential shift with the increased photocurrent density compared to pristine samples. To further enhance PEC properties, the interficial engineering strategies of the Co ion doping and the deposition of ultra-thin Al2O3 film were carried out. Co ion could facilitate the charge transfer in photoanodes through the increased surface area, and the 2 nm Al2O3 layer coated above the photoanode effectively worked as the passivation layer to stabilize the photoanodes in alkaline electrolytes environments. This work would contribute to developing efficient photoanodes through various nanoscale engineering strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease in children. With the gradual expansion of the incidence of JIA in the population, the pathogenesis and treatment of JIA were further explored and analyzed, and JIA has achieved some success in drug therapy. Data sources: A systemic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, the US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register, and the EU Clinical Trials Register. Through the searching of clinical trials of JIA in recent years, we summarized the progress of the clinical treatment of JIA. Results: The main treatment drugs for JIA include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biological agents. So far, a variety of biological agents targeting the cytokines and receptors involved in its pathogenesis have been gradually approved for JIA in many countries. The application of biological agents in JIA showed good efficacy and safety, bringing unprecedented experience to children and adolescents with JIA. Conclusions: The potential and advantages of biologic agents in the treatment of JIA are significant, and the application of biologic agents in the treatment of JIA will be more and more common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer inclusion membranes are a type of liquid membrane that is used to separate and extract cations and anions. For instance, these are used to separate toxic metal wastes from the environment. 1,10-Phenanthroline has been used as a preferred classic chelated ligand for transition metal ions. In this study, we prepared a cellulose tri-acetate (CTA) polymeric membrane containing 1,10-phenanthroline. We used a combination of CTA membrane with polyethylene glycol to extract metals from aqueous solutions using a two-compartment permeation cell having a feed and stripping solution. We used cobalt, nickel, copper, and cadmium metals to prepare the feed solution, whereas ammonia and tri-ethanolamine were used to prepare the stripping solution. Cadmium remains in the feed solution, whereas cobalt, nickel, and copper are transferred to the stripping phase. The extraction efficiencies of metals were found to be in the order Co > Ni > Cu. This method resulted in the extraction of 91% cobalt, 89% nickel, and 89% copper in an aqueous solution. In addition, the modified membranes were characterized for their compositional analysis and surface morphology. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to determine the presence of functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrogen (H2), commonly named 'hydrogen,' is considered as a promising renewable fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide upon combustion. Nonetheless, since hydrogen is actually mainly produced from fossil fuels, sustainable methods such as water splitting are required. For that, metal oxide semiconductors have been explored as photoelectrode materials. In particular, post-transition metal oxide semiconductors such as gallium, indium, tin, lead, and bismuth have drawn attention due to of their unique properties, e.g. resistance to photocorrosion. Here, we review the properties, synthesis and recent developments of post-transition metal oxide semiconductors for water splitting. Gallium nitride nanowall network enhances photocurrent density up to 28 mA/cm2. Alloys of gallium and indium, in the form of indium gallium nitride, show photocurrent density of 32 mA/cm2 with strong photon absorption and exceptional corrosion resistance in aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonintrusive load monitoring (NILM) is crucial for extracting patterns of electricity consumption of household appliance that can guide users' behavior in using electricity while their privacy is respected. This study proposes an online method based on the transient behavior of individual appliances as well as system steady-state characteristics to estimate the operating states of the appliances. It determines the number of states for each appliance using the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) method and models the transition relationship among different states. The states of the working appliances are identified from aggregated power signals using the Kalman filtering method in the factorial hidden Markov model (FHMM). Thereafter, the identified states are confirmed by the verification of system states, which are the combination of the working states of individual appliances. The verification step involves comparing the total measured power consumption with the total estimated power consumption. The use of transient features can achieve fast state inference and it is suitable for online load disaggregation. The proposed method was tested on a high-resolution data set such as Labeled hIgh-Frequency daTaset for Electricity Disaggregation (LIFTED) and it outperformed other related methods in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reported the first-ever de novo transcriptome analysis of Operculina turpethum, a high valued endangered medicinal plant, using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. The de novo assembly generated a total of 64,259 unigenes and 20,870 CDS (coding sequence) with a mean length of 449 bp and 571 bp respectively. Further, 20,218 and 16,458 unigenes showed significant similarity with identified proteins of NR (non-redundant) and UniProt database respectively. The homology search carried out against publicly available database found the best match with Ipomoea nil sequences (82.6%). The KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis identified 6538 unigenes functionally assigned to 378 modules with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway as the most enriched among the secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathway followed by terpenoid biosynthesis. A total of 17,444 DEGs were identified among which majority of the DEGs (Differentially Expressed Gene) involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis were found to be significantly upregulated in stem as compared to root tissues. The qRT-PCR validation of 9 unigenes involved in phenylpropanoid and terpenoid biosynthesis also showed a similar expression pattern. This finding suggests that stem tissues, rather than root tissues, could be used to prevent uprooting of O. turpethum in the wild, paving the way for the plant's effective conservation. Moreover, the study formed a valuable repository of genetic information which will provide a baseline for further molecular research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) toward H2O2 is highly desirable because only sunlight, O2 and water are required in the process. However, the corresponding studies are still at its infancy because of the lack of suitable photocathodes, especially inorganic semiconductor photocathodes. In this work, we report CuBi2O4/CuO (CBO/CuO) heterojunction submicrocrystalline film photocathodes with efficient ORR activity for H2O2 production. The heterojunction film photocathodes were prepared through thermal evaporation of Cu and Bi metals under vacuum and subsequent annealing treatment. Furthermore, the doping of Gd3+ ions into CBO/CuO could significantly enhance the yield of H2O2. As a result, the concentration of H2O2 could reach 1.3 mM within 30 min, which is 6 times higher than that obtained on the pristine CBO/CuO photocathode. The theoretical calculations suggested that the introduction of Gd could adjust the electronic structure of CBO surface and promote 2e ORR pathway for selective production of H2O2. Our work not only provides a new strategy for designing highly efficient photocathode for H2O2 production but also will evoke more interest in photoelectrocatalytic ORR through inorganic semiconductor photocathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, while developed countries are decommissioning hydroelectric projects (HEPs)/dams at a higher rate than constructing new ones, developing economies are doing the opposite. Although HEPs are regarded green, renewable and cheap, recent studies reveal that they do more harm than good. The impacts of HEPs are multiple, including socio-economic, environmental and geopolitical. India's Northeastern (NE) region is a part of the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna river basin, and has immense hydropower potential. A large number of HEPs are planned or under construction in the region, mainly in the hilly states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Mizoram. One such mega project is the Tipaimukh multipurpose HEP, to be constructed on the Barak river in the state of Manipur. The project is highly controversial, and is being protested against by the locals, academicians, researchers, social activists, NGOs, as well as Bangladesh. Further, a serious cost–benefit analysis, judicious environmental impact assessment and democratic public hearings have been questioned. The area submergence of the project is disproportionately high compared to other such projects of NE India, and the project site and the adjoining areas form a part of Indo-Burma global biodiversity hotspot. The present study details the impacts of the project from multidisciplinary perspectives, categorized into bio-physical, socio-economic and geopolitical impacts, including impacts on the downstream riparian nation—Bangladesh. Based on the study, we have provided recommendations, if ever the construction of project is actualized. Since there is lack of any such analysis, the present study is of immense significance on the decision making of the project, and paves a guideline for impact analysis of the upcoming large number of projects of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the acute toxicity, antidiabetic potential (in-vitro and in-vivo) of the Operculina turpethum (L.) Silva Manso at fraction level. The plant was fractionated into different fractions, i.e., flavonoid fraction (OTFF), tannin fraction (OTTF), saponin fraction (OTSF). In-vitro alpha-amylase inhibition assay revealed that OTFF was found to be more potent than standard Acarbose. The plant fractions were evaluated by MTT assay at different concentrations ranging from 100 to 1000 µg/ml. All the fractions were further evaluated for their safety profile, and the biochemical, hematology and histopathology result exhibits that the OTFF fraction produces mild toxicity at organ level at a concentration of 2000 mg/kg in albino mice. The in-vivo antidiabetic study was carried out on Sprague-Dawley rats using high-fat diet (HFD) feeding streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic model, and the biochemical, histopathology research findings represent that OTFF at a concentration of 500 mg/kg, p.o. was found to be highly significant among all the fractions and found to be more potent than the standard Acarbose. LC–MS characterization of the bioactive fraction OTFF showed the presence of rutin with m/z 610.52 in 50.50% and Apigenin 7-O-6'' acetyl-glucoside with m/z 475.42 in 24.10%; from molecular docking study, it is predicted that the fraction primarily acts as an alpha-amylase inhibitor and PPAR gamma agonist. In conclusion, the plant's OTFF fraction acts as a potential therapeutic agent for Type II diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the interest in sustainable energy production increases, water splitting through semiconductor materials to convert solar energy directly to hydrogen energy has been extensively reported to date. Recently, the III–VI group chalcogenide semiconductors have received great attention for narrow-gap photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting electrodes. Among the metal sulfides, beta indium sulfide (β-In2S3) shows remarkable properties for photoelectrodes such as high photoelectric sensitivity, high photoconductivity, large photoelectric conversion yield, low toxicity, high absorption coefficient, efficient charge separation, moderate charge transport, appropriate band position, and narrow band gap. Most of its unique properties come from the defective spinel crystal structure. Despite the superior advantages, there is a serious problem of photocorrosion induced by accumulated holes on the surface of the electrodes during the photocatalytic reaction under illumination which reduces the PEC properties. Herein, we review overall physicochemical and optoelectronic properties of β-In2S3, regardless of pros and cons, followed by the discussion of assorted strategies to further improve the PEC activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging Trends in the use of smart portable accessories, particularly within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), where smart sensor devices are employed for data gathering, require advancements in energy management mechanisms. This study aims to provide an intelligent energy management mechanism for wearable/portable devices through the use of predictions, monitoring, and analysis of the performance indicators for energy harvesting, majorly focusing on the hybrid PV-wind systems. To design a robust and precise model, prediction algorithms are compared and analysed for an efficient decision support system. Levenberg–Marquardt (LM), Bayesian Regularization (BR), and Scaled Conjugate Gradient (SCG) prediction algorithms are used to develop a Shallow Neural Network (SNN) for time series prediction. The proposed SNN model uses a closed-loop NARX recurrent dynamic neural network to predict the active power and energy of a hybrid system based on the experimental data of solar irradiation, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, precipitation, ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure collected from Jan 1st 2015 to Dec 26th 2015. The historical hourly metrological data set is established using calibrated sensors deployed at Middle East Technical University (METU), NCC. The accessory considered in this study is called as Smart Umbrella System (SUS), which uses a Raspberry Pi module to fetch the weather data from the current location and store it in the cloud to be processed using SNN classified prediction algorithms. The results obtained show that using the SNN model, it is possible to obtain predictions with 0.004 error rate in a computationally efficient way within 20 s. With the experiments, we are able to observe that for the period of observation, the energy harvested is 178 Wh/d, where the system estimates energy as 176.5 Wh/d, powering the portable accessories accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adverse effects on performance and reliability of soiling on solar photovoltaics are the major areas of concern in today's era. Environmental and meteorological solar photovoltaic soiling parameters were investigated for three 100Wp PV collectors installed at Harare Institute of Technology, Harare, Zimbabwe. The Boruta algorithm implemented in the random forest technique was used to select the most influential parameters in a given set of parameters used in soiling predictive modelling. Five most important variables which are PM10, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed and wind direction were identified and used in modelling. Two soiling predictive models were developed using Artificial Neural Networks together with Multiple Linear Regression. The five selected most influential soiling variables were used in the two predictive models and the performance of the models was adequate with R adj 2 of 97.91% and 79.69%, respectively, for Artificial Neural Networks and Multiple Linear Regression. Moreover, the Residual Mean Square Error Values for the two models were 1.16% and 4.9% with Mean Absolute Percentage Errors of 6.3% and 10.6%, respectively, for Artificial Neural Networks and Multiple Linear Regression. The measured data indicated a mean daily loss in efficiency η ¯ l of 0.083% and a standard deviation of σ l of 0.00973%. The investigation revealed that soiling prediction is of paramount importance as it give the basis for the determination of mitigation activities. If the energy loss due to soiling is known in advance, cleaning procedures will be planned ahead of time. The energy supply by such a solar photovoltaic system will be known in advance leading to the determination of an alternative energy source to cater for the deficit created by the anticipated energy loss due to soiling and the subsequent cleaning procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a highly photocatalytic Ag/In2S3 was synthesized via the hydrothermal and photoreduction method. The as-prepared photocatalysts were confirmed by XRD, SEM, HRTEM, and XPS showing that Ag nanoparticles were decorated on the In2S3 surface. Photocatalytic activities of photocatalysts were investigated for photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light. The Ag/In2S3 composites showed the enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of 97% under visible light irradiation for 90 min, which was about 3.0 times higher than that of pure In2S3. The enhanced photocatalytic performance could be owing to the SPR of Ag and the Schottky junction formed between Ag and In2S3. Our PL results indicate the inhibited recombination of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs in In2S3 upon the attachment of Ag nanoparticles. The active species tests demonstrate that the superoxide radical (·O2−) and h+ are responsible for the efficient degradation of MO over Ag/In2S3. In addition, it also proposes a potential mechanism for enhancing the photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen produced by water splitting is limited due to the high theoretical potential of the anode. So, the lower theoretical potential of the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) was selected. In this work, a highly efficient bifunctional catalyst, cobalt nitride doped with reduced graphene oxide nanosheets supported on Ni foam (Co5.47N/rGO@NF), was synthesized by hydrothermal and calcination methods for both UOR and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The morphology and composition of Co5.47N/rGO@NF was studied through XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, HRTEM and elemental mapping. A parallel two-electrode electrolyzer (Co5.47N/rGO@NF||Co5.47N/rGO@NF) was constructed for electrochemical testing. To drive 100 mA/cm2, the voltage of Co5.47N/rGO@NF||Co5.47N/rGO@NF only 1.684 V is required, which is much lower than that of Pt/C||IrO2 (1.875 V) and the current density can be maintained for at least 30 h. This demonstrates that its high activity and stability have commercial feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical precipitation from aqueous solutions of silver nitrate and sodium sulfide in the presence of sodium citrate as a stabilizer was used to synthesize powders and colloidal solutions of silver sulfide Ag2S. The methods of X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and low-temperature adsorption of nitrogen were used to estimate sizes of silver sulfide particles in the precipitated powders and colloidal solutions. Changing the ratio between the reagent concentrations in reaction mixtures made it possible to obtain Ag2S nanopowders with average particle sizes within the range from ∼1000 to 40–50 nm. The size of Ag2S nanoparticles in the colloidal solutions obtained is 15–20 nm. The relationship between the particle size of silver sulfide and the supersaturation of solutions used for synthesis was considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photovoltaic power station in Qinghai has been built for 8 years; however, its impact on the regional soil ecological environment has not been studied in depth. To reveal the structure and distribution pattern of archaeal communities in desert soil under the influence of a large photovoltaic power station, a comparative study was carried out between the soil affected by photovoltaic panels and the bare land samples outside the photovoltaic station in Gonghe, Qinghai Province. The abundance, community structure, diversity, and distribution characteristics of archaea were analyzed by quantitative PCR and Illumina-MiSeq high-throughput sequencing, and the main environmental factors affecting the variation in soil archaeal community were identified by RDA. The contribution rate of environmental factors and human factors to microbial community diversity was quantitatively evaluated by VPA. The results showed that there was no significant difference in soil nutrients and other physicochemical factors between the photovoltaic power station and bare land. Thaumarchaeota was the dominant archaeal phylum in the area, accounting for more than 99% of archaeal phylum, while at the level of genus, Nitrososphaera was the dominant archaeal genera. There was no significant difference in archaeal community structure between and under different types of PV panels. The analysis has shown that the construction of a photovoltaic station has little effect on the community structure of soil archaea in a desert area, and it was speculated that the selection of niche played a leading role in the distribution pattern of soil archaeal community. This study provides the basis for a scientific understanding of the characteristics and distribution patterns of soil archaeal communities affected by the construction of a photovoltaic power station., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Substituting low theoretical potential of the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) for the high theoretical potential of water splitting at the anode (oxygen evolution reaction) is meaningful for hydrogen energy storage and conversion. In this work, a bifunctional catalyst, cobalt nitride nanoflakes supported on Ni foam (CoN NF/NF), was synthesized for both UOR and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A two-electrode electrolyzer (CoN NF/NF||CoN NF/NF) was constructed. To drive 100 mA/cm2, the voltage of CoN NF/NF||CoN NF/NF only 1.698 V is required, which is much lower than that of Pt/C||IrO2 (1.860 V) and the current density can be maintained for 30 h. A non-noble metal bifunctional catalyst, cobalt nitride nanoflakes supported on Ni foam (CoN NF/NF) was used as both anode and cathode materials for urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), showing excellent catalytic activity and stability for urea electrolysis assisted hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]